Journal Papers by Markos Katsianis
Archaeological Reports, 2024
In this paper, we document the current research activities surrounding the mapping of cultural he... more In this paper, we document the current research activities surrounding the mapping of cultural heritage on the web by contextualizing examples from Greek projects and applications within the broader international research landscape. We highlight the benefits of digital mapping for the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage and address specific challenges that call for ongoing and future research. Mapping cultural heritage involves considerable effort from professionals with different backgrounds and can be extensive, as there are no limits to building up digital content. Several opportunities are opening up for expanding the scope of these efforts, foregrounding new questions and research avenues, and creating spin-off applications for diverse audiences. However, there are limitations to the durability of web GIS infrastructures, and their aging in a rapidly changing technological environment can significantly impact the associated content. It is crucial to understand that datafication and content curation go together, and that implementing open data provisions at an early stage can benefit dissemination, support preservation, and create surplus value by enabling thirdparty and broader audience participation in reusing or repurposing the mapped content.
Evangelidis, V., Tsiafaki, D., Mourthos, Y., & Karta, M. (eds). Mapping the Past, Plotting the Future: GIS in Archaeology, Maturity and Implementation. Proceedings of the workshop organised by the AeGIS Athena Lab, at the British School at Athens, Thursday 30 March 2023. Journal of Greek Archaeol..., 2024
Internet Archaeology, 2023
Archaeological data repositories usually manage excavation data collections as project-level enti... more Archaeological data repositories usually manage excavation data collections as project-level entities with restricted capacities to facilitate search or aggregation of excavation data at the sub-collection level (trenches, finds, season reports or excavation diaries etc.). More granular access to excavation data collections would enable layered querying across their informational content. In the past decade, several attempts to adapt CIDOC CRM in order to provide more explicit descriptions of the excavation universe have resulted in the use of domain-specific model extensions (e.g. CRMarchaeo, CRMsci, CRMba). Each focuses on corresponding aspects of the excavation research process, while their combined usage has potential to support expressive data mappings at the sub-collection level. As part of the ARIADNEplus project, several CIDOC CRM developers and domain experts have collaborated to undertake conceptual mapping exercises, to address the practicalities of bringing excavation data descriptions together and to link these to our overall aspirations in terms of excavation data discoverability and reusability. In this contribution, we discuss the current state and future directions of the field of semantic representation of archaeological excavation data and consider several issues that constrain the applicability of existing solutions. We identify five key enabling technologies or research areas (Conceptual models and semantic data structures, Conceptual modelling patterns, Data mapping workflows and tools, Learning technologies and Semantic queries) and assign readiness levels to assess their level of technological maturity. Our research demonstrates that while the existing models and domain-specific extensions are deemed adequate, there is a need for more user-friendly methods and tools to structure data in meaningful and interoperable ways. The next steps involve consolidating relevant semantic structures, improving modelling implementation guidance, adhering to consistent workflows, developing engaging curricula, and documenting real-case examples to demonstrate the benefits and results of semantic data integration.
Digital, 2022
The emergence of the ubiquitous digital ecosystem has provided new momentum for research in archa... more The emergence of the ubiquitous digital ecosystem has provided new momentum for research in archaeology and the cultural heritage domain [...]
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021
Recent advances in recording equipment, software solutions and intra-site applications have suppo... more Recent advances in recording equipment, software solutions and intra-site applications have supported the widespread integration of 3D spatial technologies within archaeological fieldwork. However, the heavy dependence on digital technology to organize excavation research does not come without costs, especially in the case of long-term excavation projects that have employed 3D documentation procedures and need to use, maintain and preserve their 3D archives. This work revisits the digital data collection of the excavation project in Paliambela Kolindros, Greece, which provided one of the first working examples regarding a full 3D workflow in excavation recording and interpretative reasoning. As part of our attempt to integrate part of the 3D excavation archive in the ARIADNEplus infrastructure and with the intention to build up its informational capacity, the article reviews the entire methodology and identifies cases where data reassessment or reprocessing activities link directly to digital knowledge production practices. Based on our experience, we discuss the possibility of regarding the excavation event as a historically situated conversion into an archive to be further transformed and perpetually re-interpreted in the digital continuum. By stressing the dependence of archaeological knowledge work to digital data provenance and transparent data curation practices, we have a chance to both harness the benefits of 3D GIS and improve data preservation chances.
Internet Archaeology, 2021
This article provides an overview of the current situation in Greece regarding digital archaeolog... more This article provides an overview of the current situation in Greece regarding digital archaeological data stewardship. A brief chronicle of Greek archaeology sets the scene for a better understanding of the present situation. Greek archaeology is supervised by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, with the Archaeological Service as the central organisation in charge of antiquities. However, archaeological data resulting from archaeological fieldwork are produced by several other entities. This article presents the policies governing both physical and digital documentation archives. It introduces the current practices for archaeological data preservation and the relevant digital infrastructures, attempting to showcase the existing environment. We categorise prevailing problems on three levels, all based on the fact that digital and open access arrived recently in a well-established environment formed gradually over almost two centuries.Even so, fragmentation and variation would be the proper terms to describe the status of the stewardship of digital archaeological data in Greece. Our review shows that there is substantial effort directed towards digital archaeological data stewardship and accessibility by all stakeholders within the archaeological sector. Finally, we add a few thoughts and suggestions, and indicate the need to generate a network that could take steps towards more inclusive strategies within digital data stewardship. The key to leveraging change is raising awareness about data sustainability and reuse, and the COVID-19 outbreak indicates a clear change in mentality in this direction, since open access resources have begun to be key to education and research conducted in Greece.
Journal of Open Archaeology Data, 2020
The Holocene, 2019
This paper offers a comparative study of land use and demographic development in northern and sou... more This paper offers a comparative study of land use and demographic development in northern and southern Greece from the Neolithic to the Byzantine period. Results from summed probability densities (SPD) of archaeological radiocarbon dates and settlement numbers derived from archaeological site surveys are combined with results from cluster-based analysis of published pollen core assemblages to offer an integrated view of human pressure on the Greek landscape through time. We demonstrate that SPDs offer a useful approach to outline differences between regions and a useful complement to archaeological site surveys, evaluated here especially for the onset of the Neolithic and for the Final Neolithic (FN)/Early Bronze Age (EBA) transition. Pollen analysis highlight differences in vegetation between the two sub-regions, but also several parallel changes. The comparison of land cover dynamics between two sub-regions of Greece further demonstrates the significance of the bioclimatic conditions of core locations and that apparent oppositions between regions may in fact be two sides of the same coin in terms of socio-ecological trajectories. We also assess the balance between anthropogenic and climate-related impacts on vegetation and suggest that climatic variability was as an important factor for vegetation regrowth. Finally, our evidence suggests that the impact of humans on land cover is amplified from the Late Bronze Age (LBA) onwards as more extensive herding and agricultural practices are introduced.
Supplemental material, Supplementary_Table_3_(Site_survey) for Long-term trends of land use and d... more Supplemental material, Supplementary_Table_3_(Site_survey) for Long-term trends of land use and demography in Greece: A comparative study by C Neil Roberts, Ralph Fyfe, Stephen Shennan, Andrew Bevan, Jessie Woodbridge, Alessio Palmisano, Erika Weiberg, Andrew Bevan, Katerina Kouli, Markos Katsianis, Jessie Woodbridge, Anton Bonnier, Max Engel, Martin Finn�, Ralph Fyfe, Yannis Maniatis, Alessio Palmisano, Sampson Panajiotidis, C Neil Roberts and Stephen Shennan in The Holocene
Studies in Digital Heritage, 2018
The fortifications of Athens have been a recurrent object of archaeological investigation. In the... more The fortifications of Athens have been a recurrent object of archaeological investigation. In the past two centuries, parts of the walls have been located during rescue interventions at numerous sites in the urban fabric. At present, the visibility of the entire monument remains rather low as the traces of the walls are hidden beneath the modern city, marginalized within larger archaeological sites, or preserved solely by the written record. Despite the high level of scholarly work devoted to synthesizing the available material, the volume of information accumulated over the years requires an integrated approach that would systematize different types of evidence using digital media. To this end, we attempt to revisit the city walls of Athens through the use of geospatial technologies. Our aim is the informed development of an efficient digital mapping platform to record, store, combine, explore and eventually disseminate resources about the fortifications of Athens. Our research employs published and archival sources (e.g., excavation drawings) in combination with historical maps (e.g., early cadastral maps, the earliest maps of modern Athens) and complementary historical evidence (e.g., writings, illustrations, photography) to locate, document and integrate in space and time available data on lost and surviving fortification remains.
The Acropolis Restoration News, 2016
The Acropolis Restoration News, 2013
Η παρούσα μελέτη συγκρίνει την αρχιτεκτονική διάταξη της Αγοράς της Αθήνας ανάμεσα στις αρχές του... more Η παρούσα μελέτη συγκρίνει την αρχιτεκτονική διάταξη της Αγοράς της Αθήνας ανάμεσα στις αρχές του 4ου αι. π.Χ. και τα μέσα του 1ου αι. μ.Χ., κατά τις οποίες επικρατούν διαφορετικά πολιτικά συστήματα. Η πρώτη περίοδος συνδέεται με την ανεξάρτητη Πόλη-Κράτος, ενώ η δεύτερη με την ολοκλήρωση της διαδικασίας ενσωμάτωσης της ελληνικής πόλης στο πλαίσιο της εκτεταμένης Ρωμαϊκής αυτοκρατορίας. Η μέθοδος που υιοθετείται είναι βασισμένη στη Σύνταξη του Χώρου ή Space Syntax Theory και χρησιμοποιεί τεχνικές χωρικής ανάλυσης, όπως ο βαθμός οικοδόμησης, η κίνηση στο χώρο και η οπτική αντίληψη του αστικού τοπίου για να μελετήσει τη συγκεκριμένη μορφή που υιοθετούν οι αρχιτεκτονικές επεμβάσεις στην Αγορά της Αθήνας, όσο και τις πιθανές επιπτώσεις στην καθημερινή χρήση του ιστού της πόλης στις δύο περιόδους. Η ανάλυση πραγματοποιείται σε λογισμικό Γεωγραφικών Συστημάτων Πληροφοριών (GIS).
A 3D Digital Workflow for Archaeological Intra-Site Research Using GIS
Journal of Archaeological Science 35(3), 655-667, 2008
Across a range of archaeological projects in Northern Greece, a context-based system, which has m... more Across a range of archaeological projects in Northern Greece, a context-based system, which has much in common with similar stratigraphic methods applied elsewhere in the world, is in use to record the excavation process. Here, we discuss a formal data model and complete digital workflow for the documentation of this process in 3D using the prehistoric site of Paliambela Kolindros, Greece, as a case study. The entire digital process has the advantage of being implemented on a single software platform. In addition, the combination of formal ontology and custom object-oriented programming enables a suite of techniques for exploratory data analysis and stratigraphic interpretation.
Keywords: Excavation; GIS; 3D models; UML; CIDOC-CRM
Books by Markos Katsianis
Το βιβλίο εξετάζει την ενσωμάτωση της ψηφιακής τεχνολογίας στην ανασκαφική πράξη με επίκεντρο την... more Το βιβλίο εξετάζει την ενσωμάτωση της ψηφιακής τεχνολογίας στην ανασκαφική πράξη με επίκεντρο την ανάπτυξη ενός πληροφοριακού συστήματος για τη διαχείριση και τη διερεύνηση των αρχαιολογικών δεδομένων. Η προσέγγιση χρησιμοποιεί τα Συστήματα Γεωγραφικών Πληροφοριών (ΣΓΠ), διεθνώς γνωστά με τον όρο GIS, και εκμεταλλεύεται τις δυνατότητες που παρέχουν ως προς την τρισδιάστατη χωρική αναπαράσταση και την οπτική αντιπαραβολή της ανασκαφικής πληροφορίας. Η ανασκαφή στην προϊστορική θέση των Παλιαμπέλων Κολινδρού και η ερευνητική μεθοδολογία που ακολουθείται στο συγκεκριμένο πρόγραμμα αποτελεί το παράδειγμα εφαρμογής της εργασίας.
Edited Volumes by Markos Katsianis
Department of History and Archaeology. National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 2017
This volume is the proceedings of the 2nd Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Me... more This volume is the proceedings of the 2nd Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology - Greek Chapter (CAA-GR). It contains 21 contributions in English or Greek that have been reviewed by our international scientific committee and grouped by the editors into four thematic areas. Contributions range from long papers for completed projects to short papers for work in progress with preliminary results.
Book Chapters by Markos Katsianis
De Gruyter, 2022
With a 'visual turn' taking place in the humanities, whereby material culture has attained a stat... more With a 'visual turn' taking place in the humanities, whereby material culture has attained a status equal to textual, it is increasingly important that works of art and artifacts be properly interpreted in their historic and archaeological contexts. The new approaches on the part of archaeologists who focus on contexts (political, social, religious) provide fresh ground for interpretation as more and more humanities disciplines engage with visual culture. The aim of the collection of individual studies assembled here is to demonstrate how Classical Athenian art remains a vital field not just for art historians and archaeologists, but for ancient historians, political and social scientists, anthropologists, and those in religious studies as well. Now as new material comes to light and fresh ideas on old topics are being formulated, it is timely to re-investigate the art generated in the age of Perikles and its aftermath, the Peloponnesian War. This new research is presented here in the hope that upcoming generations of students and scholars will gain a deeper understanding of this seminal period of Greek art and architecture. The five decades (449 to 403 B.C.) covered by this volume begin with the putative "Peace of Kallias", probably an invention of the 4 th century B.C., and end with the demise of Kritias, a pro-Spartan intellectual who ended his political career as one of the notorious Thirty Tyrants. This book comprises the papers presented at the international conference "From Kallias to Kritias. Classical Culture: Athens in the Second Half of the 5 th Century B.C.", hosted in Athens by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens on June 6-8, 2019. The conference followed chronologically in the footsteps of "From Hippias to Kallias: Greek Art in Athens and Beyond 527-449 B.C.", 1 hosted by the Acropolis Museum in May 2017. That conference explored the debates concerning the last manifestations of the Archaic and the emergence of the Early Classical style. This volume, like its predecessor, raises important new issues, triggered by ongoing research on old and new excavation material, by probes into museum storerooms, and by the reshuffling of traditional premises. Bibliographical abbreviations follow the guidelines of American Journal of Archaeology. Abbreviations of ancient authors can be found in the Oxford Classical Dictionary. The editors and authors are greatly indebted to Mirko Vonderstein of de Gruyter for agreeing to publish this volume. Hans Rupprecht Goette has kindly allowed the reproduction of several photos from his archives throughout the book. Our thanks are also due to Carol Lawton, Sheila Dillon and Sheramy Bundrick for their assistance. We are grateful for the generous sponsorship of both the American School of 1 Edited by O. Palagia and E. P. Sioumpara and published in Athens by the Acropolis Museum in 2019.
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Journal Papers by Markos Katsianis
Keywords: Excavation; GIS; 3D models; UML; CIDOC-CRM
Books by Markos Katsianis
Edited Volumes by Markos Katsianis
Book Chapters by Markos Katsianis
Keywords: Excavation; GIS; 3D models; UML; CIDOC-CRM
Institute in Greece, we highlight work in Euboea by the Southern
Euboea Exploration Project, one of the earliest endeavors
supported by the Institute.
prehistoric use of space in southern Euboea in an
attempt to examine the way the landscape was populated
and socially constructed during the Neolithic
and Early Bronze Age in this part of Greece. To
achieve this we use legacy data, both published and
unpublished, in combination with newly acquired
evidence from surface surveys and excavations. We
employ GIS to combine data recorded at different
scales and using alternative observation methods
(field walking, tract walking, GPS survey, systematic
material collection, and excavation) into a coherent
body of information that supports the analysis of the
data’s spatial characteristics. An initial comparison
of the spatial distribution of sites in comparison to
terrain relief and soil characteristics suggests that
large-scale land management was practiced, as is
evidenced by the deliberate avoidance of larger habitation
of agriculturally significant land. Moreover,
the situation in southern Euboea mirrors that in the
Cyclades, where there is also sparse evidence of
permanent or more substantial habitation predating
the Late or even Final Neolithic. Finally, our study
indicates that the ritual use of landscape in southern
Euboea predates the Neolithic peopling of this part
of Greece.
interventions has been in use through successive upgrades for the past 25 years. Recent activities towards the
implementation of 3D visualisation facilities and the simplification of the database structure aim to benefit userinteraction
with the database records and achieve improved transaction speeds. A 3D visualisation and modelling
tool that has been developed for the segmentation and annotation of 3D textured models of complex architectural
features or entire monuments facilitates the association of individual 3D spatial structures with the corresponding
database records. This way it is possible to depict the results of queries regarding the state of preservation and
the restoration interventions directly on the 3D model of a monument. Combined with data structure
improvements, the designed tool enhances data accessibility and visual data examination.
• systematic collection of excavation unit and artefact co-ordinates
• fast and detailed production of digital excavation plans and sections
• increase in the photographic documentation of the excavation process
However, these recording strategies have so far been distinguished from the rest of the excavation documentation, which has largely remained on paper. Despite previous attempts in computer applications development, the difficulty in handling the vast amount of excavation data in both analogue and digital form and the need for optimizing their study, have made necessary the use of an information system for the organization, management, representation and analysis of all kinds of archaeological evidence.
The Paliambela Excavation Information System is currently under development within the frame of two complementary PhD projects. The research is centered on the:
• critical appraisal of the excavation methodology employed
• integration of the recording techniques used within the new system’s operational workflow
• effective description of excavation evidence in a data model
• realistic representation of excavation features in digital 3D space
• incorporation of the temporal properties of archaeological information
It is argued that in order to achieve a true integration of excavation data recording, management and representation, GIS technology should be in the core of such attempt. Therefore, the methodology employed is focused on the development of data models supported by GIS and the modification of existing GIS software in order to meet the archaeological research requirements.
Key-Words: GIS applications, Archaeology, Intra-site, Landscape, Ontology, Visualization, Time
In addition to FAIR, several other frameworks address different facets of digital data management. The CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics) principles, for instance, emphasize the ethical, cultural, and social dimensions necessary for managing archaeological data in a way that is equitable, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of all stakeholders, particularly Indigenous and local communities (Carroll et al. 2021). The London Charter advocates for intellectual transparency and qualitative metadata, emphasizing the importance of clear distinctions between evidence and interpretation (Watterson 2015). Meanwhile, the growing emphasis on paradata focuses on documenting methodologies, decision-making processes, and interpretive steps, which are essential for improving the reliability and transparency of archaeological research (Huvila 2022). Several other principles and collective research initiatives, ranging from data interoperability to method transparency and ethical concerns, also support the broader goals of Open Science.
Digital infrastructures, such as OpenAIRE, are crucial in the Open Science movement by providing services and expertise that advance the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) and support the broader implementation of FAIR principles across Europe. Digital infrastructures are not merely repositories for data but key actors in shaping and regulating the emerging digital processes that increasingly define archaeological practice. In a sense, all archaeological fieldwork is expected to meet the standards set by these infrastructures, as they serve as the final destination for the resulting digital data. While significant effort has been devoted to developing the technical aspects of these infrastructures and establishing quality control mechanisms, such as accreditation processes, there has been less critical reflection on the potential constraints and implications they may impose on archaeological practices (Huggett 2024).
Several key questions arise in this evolving landscape. How aware is the archaeological community of Open Science practices, and how feasible is it to implement these principles? What theoretical knowledge and technical skills are required? What types of data, metadata, or paradata are best suited to each goal? Are there tensions or conflicts between different frameworks? Is openness always beneficial, or could it reinforce existing power imbalances or undermine data sovereignty? What measures can digital infrastructures adopt to address such issues along with other ethical or cultural concerns, particularly in the stewardship of archaeological and heritage data? How are these frameworks implemented in the absence of regulatory standards, sufficient repository facilities, or adequate funding? Ultimately, what constraints do these frameworks impose on archaeological research, how do they reshape archaeological knowledge production and heritage management, and what opportunities do they present?
This session aims to critically explore these challenges from both bottom-up (e.g., the archaeologist or the participating community) and top-down (e.g., the data manager or the data curator) perspectives. Despite varying levels of digital integration across global and research contexts, sharing experiences can help better identify the problems, requirements, changes, successes, and failures encountered when implementing Open Science practices in archaeology. We therefore invite submissions that explore these challenges, offer comparative insights into data standardization and requirements for ingestion and deposition in digital infrastructures (such as ARIADNE, DARIAH, OpenAIRE, SSHOC, Parthenos), in line with Open Science principles.
We believe that exchanging experiences will help us understand the practicalities of implementing different aspects of Open Science in archaeology. By integrating these frameworks into digital archaeological research, we can develop a more holistic approach to inclusive data stewardship, transparent knowledge-building practices, and equitable data policy-making. This integration not only complements existing frameworks but could also signal a paradigm shift in the governance, documentation of archaeological data.